Education In Southwestern Nigeria Research Articles

Contributory Pension Scheme and Welfare of Retirees: A case of Tertiary Institutions of Education in Southwestern Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) on the welfare of retirees of tertiary institutions of education in the Southwestern zone of Nigeria. Using the Taro Yamane formula and a multi-level sampling technique, a sample size of 125 retirees was obtained from three tertiary institutions of education in the Southwestern part of Nigeria as follows: Osun State College of Education, Ilesa (41), Lagos State University of Education, Lagos (36) and Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo (48). The main instrument of data collection was a set of questionnaire which was administered to the retirees to collect relevant data. The instrument was validated and its reliability coefficient calculated to be 0.82 using the Cronbach Alpha formula. The data collected was analysed using the Chi-square and the one-sample t-test statistics. The results showed that the contributory pension scheme did not have significant effect on the welfare of the retirees (t = .207, p < 0.05). Useful recommendations were made based on this finding.

Impact of Linguistic Insecurity on the English Oral Productivity of Students of Selected Colleges of Education in South-Western Nigeria

Purpose: This work studied the phenomenon of linguistic insecurity among colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria to determine its impact on their English oral productivity. Casual observation has shown that a good number of colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria are usually not at ease communicating in the English language. So, they seldom communicate in the English language when they interact with one another.
 Methodology: The Deficit Hypothesis as postulated by Bernstein (1971) provided the theoretical underpinning. It used purposive sampling to sample three colleges of education in South-Western Nigeria. Random sampling technique was employed to sample 120 respondents from each of the colleges; yielding a study sample of 360. A self-constructed questionnaire tagged “Impact of Linguistic Insecurity on English Oral Productivity Questionnaire (ILIEOPQ)” was the instrument employed. Data generated were analysed using frequency counts and simple percentages.
 Findings: The results showed that majority of colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria did experience linguistic insecurity whenever they communicated with their friends and course-mates in English language; a phenomenon which is not unconnected with their deficiency in English language. Lack of confidence was found to be a major factor for this. Linguistic insecurity in English language also had negative effects on the English oral productivity of students of colleges of education in South-Western Nigeria resulting in many of them speaking their first language more than they did speak English language while in school. Findings also showed that colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria employed some strategies to cope with their linguistic insecurity in English language. This notwithstanding, the standard or quality of the English language they spoke was not good enough.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The findings have shown linguistic insecurity as a major cause of the poor oral performance of Nigerian learners in English language. The findings could help stimulate the initiation of appropriate measures by concerned stake-holders. Such measures could include learners of English as a second language endeavouring to speak the English language more regularly at school. Similarly, teachers should lay more emphasis on the spoken English of their pupils/students.

Assessment of Enrolment Factors in Technical Education: Implication on Graduate Employability

The concern generated by the high rate of unemployment among graduates of tertiary institutions has reached a grievous level. This is borne out of the societal disdain for technical education programmes aimed at boosting the competency level of its recipients in both teaching, handling of tools and machines for gainful employment. Considering the dismal level of response to technical education programmes, this study assesses some factors related to enrolment in technical education programmes of Colleges of Education in southwestern Nigeria. Two research questions were drawn to guide the study. A total of 402 academic staff and students were used for the study. The students were randomly selected. A structured questionnaire was used for the data collection with a reliability coefficient of 0.97 using correlational analysis. Findings revealed that poor awareness, incentives, and inadequate facilities discourage and prevent people from enrolling in technical education. Thus, the place of both print and electronic media was stressed in sensitizing the general public about the importance of Technical Education in solving the problems confronting the Nigerian public.

Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy and Social Skills as Determinants of Social Studies Preservice Teachers’ Attitude to Entrepreneurship Education in Southwestern Nigeria

This study investigated entrepreneurial self-efficacy and social skills among Social Studies pre-service teachers in southwestern Nigeria. The multistage procedure was used. Three states (Lagos, Ogun and Oyo) that had both federal and state colleges of education were purposively selected from southwestern Nigeria. Six colleges of education (two per state-one federal and one state) were purposively selected). The purposive sampling technique was used to select 600 social studies pre-service teachers (100 per college). The instruments used were Entrepreneurial Social Skills (r = 0.79) and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy (r = 0.89) scales. Data Collected were coded and analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient and each of the research questions was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy (r = .310), had positive relationships with their attitude to entrepreneurial concepts in social studies and it also revealed that pre-service teachers’social skills (r = 0.120) had positive weak relationships with their attitude to entrepreneurial concepts in social studies. Based on these findings, it is recommended that lecturers should pay attention to these factors for improved learning outcomes in Entrepreneurship Education among Social Studies Preservice teachers.Keywords: Entrepreneurship education, pre-service teachers, Self-efficacy, Social skills, Social studies

Government commitments and teaching strategies for effective quality early childhood education in South Western Nigeria

This study assessed government commitment in fulfilling its obligations in ensuring quality early childhood education (ECE) as outlined in the National Policy on Education; examined the teaching strategies that teachers employed to ensure appropriate teaching and learning process; and assessed the challenges associated to teaching strategies used by teachers. A descriptive survey design was used. The population consisted of all ECE teachers and proprietors/proprietress. The sample comprised 150 teachers and 30 proprietors/proprietress of both public and private primary schools selected from two southwestern states of Nigeria using simple random sampling technique based on the availability of ECE class(es) in the study area. An instrument entitled “Government Commitment and Teaching Strategy for Effective Quality Early Childhood Education (GCTSQECE) was validated and used for data collection. The instrument has two sections with section A focusing on the demographic data of the participants while section B focused on governments involvement and teaching strategies employed by ECE teachers in having effective quality early childhood education. The instrument was validated using internal consistency while the Cronbach α reliability test coefficient of the GCTSQECE was 0.76. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and simple percentage. Results showed that there are not enough ECE professionals, few ECE departments in the universities, poor remuneration of teachers and that teachers employed the use of appropriate teaching strategies and improvised in most cases. It is therefore recommended that government should promote and support the training of teachers and implement ECE policy in primary schools.

Assessment of government’s involvement in implementation of national policy on early childhood education in Nigeria

The study examined the areas of Government’s involvement as stated in the national policy on early childhood education in South western Nigeria. It determined the implementation processes of the national policy on ECE on the areas of Government’s involvement and also investigated the level of compliance in the implementation processes of the national policy on ECE and the stakeholders' assessment of Government’s involvement in the implementation of the national policy on ECE. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Data was collected from 72 head teachers, 144 classroom teachers and 144 parents of early childhood education pupils as well as 30 State Ministry of Education officials. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample for the study. Three instruments were used for this study. The results of the study showed that governments were involved in the regulation of the establishment and registration of pre-school facilities at 91.7% and 96.7%, development and implementing educational support services to orphans and vulnerable children at 51.4% and 90%. The study concluded that Government’s involvement in the implementation of the national policy on early childhood education is only to a little extent. All the implementation processes of the national policy on education were not followed by the government.

Process Skills Application and Higher Order Thinking Skills among Biology Students in Colleges of Education in Southwestern Nigeria

The study determined the level of Process Skills Application (PSA) and utilization of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) among Biology students in colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria as well as the relationship between the PSA and HOTS of Biology students in colleges of education in the study area. The population comprised of all Biology students in colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria. One hundred students were selected from each of two federal colleges and three state colleges of education in the study area making a total of five hundred students. Thirty students were randomly selected for observation for process skills application of the students. The study revealed that there was a moderate level of PSA while the utilization of HOTS among the respondent was low. It was also revealed that there was no significant relationship between process skill application and higher order thinking skills (r=0.10, p>0.05) of Biology students in the study area.

Process skills application and scientific attitudes of Biology students in colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria

West African Examination Council results have continued to reveal Nigeria’s high school students’ poor performance in Science subjects, and especially, in practical science (WAEC 2014). The students’ demonstration of essential scientific attitudes is noted to be deficient. This is possibly caused by ineffective teaching and learning produced by the absence of necessary practical classes. This study, therefore, assessed the process skills application and scientific attitudes of Biology students in colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria as well as the relationship between the two variables. These groups of variables are central to students developing skills and knowledge in science and a determination of levels of competence in them would facilitate appropriate interventions to improve teaching and learning of science. The study adopted descriptive research survey design. The population for the study included all Biology students in colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria. From the four federal and seven state colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria, two federal colleges of education and three state colleges of education were randomly selected to ensure adequate representation of the two school categories. One hundred Biology students were randomly selected from each of the two school categories. Two instruments were used for the study. These were Biology Process Skill Application Rating Scale (BPSARS) and Biology Scientific Attitude Questionnaire (BSAQ). A reliability value of 0.72 for BPSARS and 0.76 for BSAQ was gotten using Cronbach alpha coefficient. The result revealed that there existed a moderate application of process skills and a moderate level of scientific attitude among the respondents as 67.3% and 84.8% having a moderate level of process skills application and scientific attitude respectively. It was shown that there was no significant relationship between the process skill application and scientific attitude (r=0.09, p>0.05) of respondents in the study area

Access and Quality of Private University Education in Southwestern Nigeria

Access and Quality of Private University Education in Southwestern Nigeria

EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND CONCEPTUAL CHANGESTRATEGIES IN IMPROVING LEARNING OUTCOMES OFPROSPECTIVE TEACHERS WITH DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS INCLINATION

The study examined the Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning and Conceptual Change Strategies in improving Learning Outcomes of College of Education Biology Students. The study adopted a non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group design. The study population comprised Part III Biology Education students in colleges of education in Southwestern Nigeria.  Two instruments were used to collect data for the study. The first instrument is ATE and retention test.  The second instrument is AQE. The data collected were analysed using ANOVA and ANCOVA).The results indicated that the CLS was more effective in improving the performance of Biology education students with Christian, Islamic and traditional religious belief systems more than the CCS, there was a significant  difference between the CLS group pre-test and CLS group post-test (Mean difference = 18.14, p = 0.000). Also, there was a significant difference in the CCS group pre-test and post-test (Mean difference = 10.155, p = 0.000). Moreover, there was also a slight significant difference in the TEM pre-test and post-test scores (mean difference = 6.500, p = 0.036).  Therefore, the hypothesis was rejected. However, if the mean difference between the pretest and the posttest in the three groups were compared, the CLS group has the highest (18.14), CCS group was 10.15, while the TEM group has the lowest (6.500).Moreover, when the means of the groups were compared, the CLS group has the highest mean score (58.02) and the CCS group mean score was 52.05. This is an indication that the CLS group has more positive effect on performance of students in evolution. However, the result indicated that there was a significant difference in the attitude of students in the CLS and CCS groups before and after treatments. This implies that the two strategies (Cooperative Learning Strategy and Conceptual Change Strategy) caused the students to have a change of attitude towards the concept of evolution and most importantly their religious inclination no longer distorts scientific facts.&nbsp

Preparedness of Colleges of Education in Southwestern Nigeria for the Adoption of Blended Learning

The study investigated the preparedness of colleges of education in Southwestern Nigeria in terms of available facilities and infrastructure for the use of blended learning. The study adopted the survey design. The population consisted of students and lecturers in colleges of education in Southwestern Nigeria. The sample size was 1,059 students and 168 lecturers. Three states were selected from which three colleges of education (one per state) also selected using the random were sampling technique. From each of the three colleges of education, 400 students and 60 lecturers were selected by stratified random sampling technique using school as stratum. Students’ Blended Learning Facilities Questionnaire, Lecturers’ Blended Learning Facilities Questionnaire and Institutions’ Blended Learning Facilities Checklist (IBLFC) were used for the study. The results showed that the institutions were not adequately prepared for blended learning as ICT facilities in the institutions were below the minimum required standard stipulated by the Federal Government of Nigeria for tertiary institutions. The study concluded that ICT facilities and infrastructure in colleges of education were inadequate for blended learning.

English

The enhancement of the academic achievement of the Nigerian students has continued to engage the attention of educational practitioners and policy makers.  This paper investigated institutional factors as predictors of students’ academic performance in Colleges of Education in South-Western Nigeria.  The study employed the ex post facto design using a survey design and a multiple regression model.  The samples used for the study consisted of 1,100 (200 and 300 levels) National Certificate of Education (NCE) students in Federal, State and Private NCE-awarding institutions in South Western Nigeria, using stratified sampling techniques.  The validated research instruments used for the study had the following psychometric properties: Cronbach alpha (α) [0.79 (students) and 0.73 (lecturers); Guttman split-half 0.78 (students) and 0.71 (lecturers; and Spearman-Brown equal length results were 0.69 (students) and 0.70 lecturers)]. The study found that a number of institutional factors: student-teacher-ratio, lecturers’ interest and commitment, school calendar stability and to a lesser extent, teaching method, were significant predictors of students’ academic achievement in the colleges of education sampled.  On the other hand, school leadership, school plant and library facilities were not found to be significant predictors of academic achievement.  The study proffered a number of recommendations to improve the quality of educational policy outcomes geared towards improving students' educational performance and hence enhance the achievement of national economics goals. Key words: Institutional factors, academic achievement, Nigeria, ex post facto design, stratified random sampling, multiple regression.

Determining the Effect of Interactive Invention Instructional Strategy and Gender on NCE Pre-Service Teachers’ Acquisition of Science Process Skills

Physics is the foundation of science and technology. Students‟ achievement in this subject at all levels of Education has been consistently poor. In an attempt to seek solutions to this problem, this study determined the effect of interactive invention strategy on NCE pre-service teachers‟ achievement in physics. The study adopted a quasi experimental research design with 98 females and 94 males from six colleges of education in South Western Nigeria which constituted the sample. A treatment group was exposed to the interactive invention instructional strategy and a control exposed to the conventional lecture method. The treatment was found to have significant effect on pre-service teachers‟ achievement in physics F(2,185) = 43.441, p <.05. Students exposed to interactive invention instructional strategy obtain higher post test score (x=38.32) than those exposed to conventional lecture method (x=32.64). It is concluded that interactive invention strategy improves students‟ achievement in physics and is therefore recommended for use by lecturers in colleges of education.Key Words: Interactive invention, achievement in Physics, Pre-service teachers, conventional, Lecture method

DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON NCE PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN PHYSICS AND ACQUISITION OF SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS

Physics is the foundation of science and technology. Students achievement in this subject at all levels of Education had been consistently poor. In an attempt to seek solution to this problem this study determined the effect of problem-based learning on NCE pre-service teachers’ achievement in physics and acquisition of science process skills. The study adopted a quasi experimental research design with 98 females and 94 males from six colleges of education in South Western Nigeria constituted the sample. A treatment group was exposed to the problem-based learning instructional strategy and a control exposed to the conventional lecture method. The treatment was found to have significant effect on pre-service teachers’ achievement in physics F(2,185) = 43.441, p <.05 and science process skills F(2,175) = 183.803, P<.05. In achievement in physics students exposed to problem-based learning obtain higher post test score (=51.98) than those exposed to conventional lecture method (30.23). Also students exposed to problem-based learning strategy obtained higher science process skills score (=73.67) than those exposed to convention lecture method =26.73. It is concluded that problem-based learning strategy improves students’ achievement in physics and acquisition of science process skills and is therefore recommended for use by lecturers in colleges of education.

The place of interest in pre-service English teachers’ choice of occupation: A study of selected Nigerian College of Education Students

The study was carried out on the basis of the fact established in extant literature that the impact of well motivated teachers right from the Universal Basic Education level can stop to the evil of perennial mass failure of Nigerian candidates in English language examinations. Two hundred pre-service English language teachers were randomly sampled from four colleges of education in southwestern Nigeria. A self-constructed thirteen-item questionnaire was validated and used to collect data. The analysis of the data revealed that (i) a much greater percentage of the pre-service teachers in the colleges of education in the southwestern part of Nigeria do not see teaching as a profession (ii) most Nigerian pre-service English teachers in colleges of education found themselves in teacher preparation programmes as a result of frustration rather than interest (iii) majority of the English language teachers would opt out of the profession at the next available opportunity (iv) the pre-service teachers do not believe in their prospective students (v) most of the pre-service teachers do not have adequate interest in teaching English language. These imply that when such people get into actual classroom practice, they cannot effect the much-needed positive change.

Implications of Farmers’ Propensity to Discontinue Adoption of Downy-Mildew Resistant Maize and Improved Cowpea Varieties for Extension Education in Southwestern Nigeria

This paper examines the implications of farmers’ propensity to discontinue the adoption of agricultural technologies in southwestern Nigeria. This is predicated on the fact that extension education process should be proactive in addressing farmers in order to sustain the adoption process. Empirical studies looking at diffusion processes from an ex post perspective have failed to deliver in terms of effective ex ante policies and intervention strategies, and the transfer of the technology model has lost much of its lustre. Following a survey of arable crop farmers in two states of southwestern Nigeria, a Tobit model was estimated on the data collected during the 2002 growing season in order to identify variables significant in the farmers’ discontinuance behaviour. The variables identified are: attitude, extension visit, feedback provision, marketability and input availability. From the estimation, foremost among the significant variables leading to discontinuance of improved maize and cowpea varieties is extension visits.

Adolescent Sexuality and Family Life Education in South Western Nigeria: Responses From Focus Group Discussion

This study reports the results of a primary qualitative investigation of teaching family life education in schools as a panacea to the ever-lingering adolescents sexuality problems. The study is based on interviews and focus-group discussions with parents teachers school guidance counselors and students who are stakeholders in education. The family life education and different sexuality behaviours of the adolescents were described. The question is whether these stakeholders will subscribe to teaching of family life education in schools as a solution to the increasing reproductive health problems including endemic HIV/AIDS disease. The survey confirms the extent of sexuality awareness of adolescents and the fact that reproductive health problems including HIV/AIDS is in every nook and cranny of the society; be it rural or urban. The qualitative investigation suggests that the samples are of the opinion that teaching of family life education in schools will be a vital solution to adolescents sexuality problems. (authors)

Postinor use among young women in Southwestern Nigeria: A research note

Postinor is the brand name of a progestogen-only contraceptive tablet, manufactured by a Hungarian firm 1 and available in about 25 countries around the world, primarily in parts of Eastern Europe and several developing countries, including Vietnam 2 Thailand 3 and Nigeria. 4 Although Postinor is marketed in Nigeria as a postcoital method for women having infrequent intercourse, it has not been shown to be safe or effective for this indication. 5,6 This paper reports on the experience of 26 young women with post-secondary education in south western Nigeria who have used Postinor, how they heard about it, what they know about it and where they buy it. While these young women are primarily using Postinor as a postcoital method, some also are using it to test for pregnancy, to bring on menstruation and in attempts to abort or all of these as needed. It has been proposed that Postinorshould bemarketed asanemergency contraceptive, the only indication for which it has been shown to be effective, but its uses in Nigeria may not change unless the reasons why women use it are addressed.